Wednesday, March 16, 2011

On the fifth anniversary of the kidnapping of Sa'adat, PFLP calls for action against Oslo and division

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine issued a statement on March 13, 2011, marking the fifth anniversary of the abduction of the PFLP's General Secretary, Ahmad Sa'adat, from the Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho, calling this crime a chapter in the continuous Zionist aggression on our people and further evidence of the terrorist practices of the enemy. The PFLP further said that the occupation is responsible for the lives of Comrade Sa'adat, his comrades, and his fellow prisoner Fuad Shobaki, noting that Comrade Sa'adat suffers from serious health conditions exacerbated by extended periods in isolation.

The Front recalled that, on March 14, 2006, occupation military forces kidnapped Comrade Sa'adat and his comrades, Comrades Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh, Majdi Rimawi, Hamdi Qu'ran and Basil al-Asmar from Jericho prison in an armed raid with disregard of all international norms, human rights standards and international humanitarian law. The Front noted that the roots of this crime lie in the humiliating "agreement" of the Palestinian Authority with the occupation to imprison these comrades under American and British auspices.

The statement continued that the PFLP holds the occupying forces responsible, as well as the U.S. and Britain, who colluded with Israel in order to kidnap the General Secretary; the Front also holds the Palestinian Authority and its security forces to be responsible, as it was they who first arrested and imprisoned the General Secretary and his comrades.

The Front called for official Arab and international action, from forces such as the Arab League, the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and Arab and foreign officials - particularly U.S. and British officials, to put pressure on Israel to release the General Secretary and his comrades.

Furthermore, the Front called upon Arab popular and progressive parties and international solidarity movements and groups to take action through demonstrations, rallies, and statements, and to call upon their governments and international bodies to pressure Israel to free Comrade Sa'adat and Palestinian prisoners. In addition, the Front made a particular appeal to human rights institutions and organizations in Arab countries, and in particular the Union of Arab Lawyers and bar associations in every Arab country to become involved and act to release Comrade Sa'adat, through petitions, protests, and legal actions.

The Front concluded by saying that over the decades of occupation, the occupation has only become increasingly intransigent in rejecting the demands of our people for freedom and independence, and is only strengthened by the free concessions given by the PLO and Palestinian Authority leadership, particularly the Oslo accords. The state of division and fragmentation in the Palestinian arena and the absence of democracy that has produced domination and hegemony in the Authority are deeply damaging to our cause, and therefore it is urgent for all to organize against occupation, division and corruption, and to end the Oslo accords.

In addition, the PFLP organization inside the Zionist jails issued a statement on the fifth anniversary of the kidnapping of General Secretary Comrade Ahmad Sa'adat and Comrades Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh, Majdi Rimawi, Hamdi Qur'an and Basel al-Asmar, saying that these comrades continue to be directly targeted by the Zionist authorities within the prisons, particularly noting the isolation of Comrades Sa'adat and Abu Ghoulmeh, as well as the suffering and repression directed aganst Palestinian prisoners in general.

The statement said that the prisoners would continue to defend their fellow prisoners from abuse and isolation through actions, protests and hunger strikes within the prison, saying that the prisoners are confident that the Palestinian people are always with the prisoners and their struggle. Furthermore, the statement noted that the prisoners consider the isolation of Comrade Sa'adat an attempt to reduce his impact by preventing his communication not only with his fellow prisoners but also with the outside world.

They called for public action and activity to expose the ongoing arrests, raids and kidnapping of Palestnians, and raising mass campaigns and media work on the issue of Palestinian prisoners. They concluded by encouraging all to participate in the March 15 demonstrations to build unity to confront the occupation, and also to raise the issue of the rights and freedom of Palestinian prisoners in the streets.